Pontypridd paedophile guilty of downloading indecent images of children as young as two
A 21-year-old paedophile from Pontypridd has pleaded guilty to downloading explicit images of children as young as two.
Ieuan Davies, from Church Village, downloaded hundreds of images. Cardiff Crown Court heard how he even messaged another paedophile asking them to share images, saying "Send me your youngest first... Do you like really young?"
Police arrested Davies at his home on 14 February 2022 after seizing two mobile phones. He had given them passcodes as well as having a secure digital "vault" which held the illegal images.
Officers discovered 55 images in Category A — the most serious — as well as 43 in B and 138 in C.
He had also downloaded an extreme image of a person "performing an act of intercourse" with an animal.
Prosecutor James Evans told Cardiff Crown Court that the most serious image showed a girl aged around two being raped.
He added that Snapchat conversations showed Davies communicating with a "like-minded person" with a "suggestion of sharing of images".
"The nature of the application means the images were not recoverable but some of the messages, in a way, speak for themselves," said Mr Evans.
Messages from Davies included: "Send me one of your youngest and I'll leave you alone" as well as: "Send me your youngest first... Do you like really young?"
Davies, of Heol Celyn, pleaded guilty to possession of the images. His only previous conviction was for drink-driving.
Ross McQuillan-Johnson, mitigating, responded to Mr Evans' comments about the messages by pointing out that there was no charge of distributing indecent images.
The barrister said his client had been "open and honest" with the probation service, adding: "Mr Davies has had quite a lot of trauma and struggle in his young life including recent diagnoses of his mother and grandmother with extremely poor health.
"He assists with both of their day-to-day activities. He has also sought assistance for mental health issues and drug and alcohol dependencies."
Judge Jeremy Jenkins told Davies: "It's often misunderstood by offenders like you that this crime, possessing images of children, is a victimless crime. It is not. Each one of those images shows the cruel and sexual exploitation of young children by adults...
"Without the demand for these photographs there would be no need to make them. Children would not be abused in the way they are. Far from being a victimless crime it is perhaps one of the worst crimes against children that could be imagined. And all for the sexual gratification of people like you.
"That being said, you are only 21 years of age. You are still young and there are, from the comments of the pre-sentence report, positive signs that you can be successfully rehabilitated given the correct work.
The judge imposed an eight-month jail term suspended for two years as well as 180 hours of unpaid work and a 30-day rehabilitation requirement.
Davies will also be under a sexual harm prevention order for five years